Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything Paperback – February 28, 2012

The best thing about this book for me was the research the author has put into explaining the mind science, if I may call the material that. I learned so much reading this book and was truly amazed by all I read. True, I had to skip many pages of very boring details ( must say, boring to me), but Josh's objective writing style was a breath of fresh air.I congratlate him on his success in remembering all he did and I am grateful to him for showing the readers why he drew a line at some point to be a person with "regular" memory.I will go onto studying more about these memory techniques for the sake of curiosity and always appreciate the positive feedback I got from this book.

The title of this book will not make any sense until you have read Chapter Five, "The Memory Palace," which describes how mnemonists use the technique of imagined loci, places associated with vivid images, to help them remember such unmemorable things as random number strings, cards in a deck, and people's names. The subtitle is what advertizes the subject of this book. (When authors, or probably more accurately, publishers, use an obscure phrase or reference for a book title, shouldn't they at least make the more explanatory subtitle more prominent on the cover?)Joshua Foer is a young journalist writing stories for online magazines like Slate, when he gets assigned to cover the 2005 U.S. Memory Championship in Manhattan. There he meets a number of top-ranked mnemonists, sort of mental athletes who specialize in unbelievable memory feats, like Ed Cooke, a grand master from England. Since he was not a U.S. citizen, Cooke attended the competition as a sort of spring training; his scores would not be counted.Thus, begins the author's yearlong (actually several years long, because it led to the writing of this book) journey into the world of memory extremes. As he delves into the intricacies of memory and how the human brain works, Foer finds himself getting gradually pulled into the intoxication of memory competition. He meets more competitors, many in their twenties like him and living at home with their parents because their involvement in memory competitions makes it impossible to hold down steady jobs. (They travel the world to memory competitions in distant places, spending vast amounts of time in training and looking for income to support their peripatetic lives.) A few have found ways to make lots of money, like the 67-year-old British memory guru, Tony Buzan, who has established memory competitions in more than a dozen countries. But one idea all these competitors impress on Foer is that anyone, with proper training and dedication, can become a memory champion. So Foer takes up the challenge and agrees, with the help of Ed Cooke as coach, to train for the next U.S. Memory Championship.This book is partly a record of Foer's year of struggles to prepare himself for the competition and partly an overview of the history of mnemonics or memory training and partly a look at the science of how memory functions in both the normal and the abnormal human brain. The abnormal or injured human brain is exemplified in the story of EP, a man who suffered through the assault of the virus, herpes simplex, and was left with debilitating amnesia. EP's brain cannot form any new memories and cannot recall any old memories from after 1950. Foer visits EP at home and finds that "each time [EP] greets his wife, it's as though he hasn't seen her in twenty years."At the other end of the extreme are the memory savants, like Kim Peek, made famous by the movie Rain Man with actor Dustin Hoffman. Peek was born with macrocephaly and was kept on sedatives for the first fourteen years of his life. When he was taken off drugs, he soon started to show an interest in books and with memorizing their contents. His memory skills are now almost legendary, but so are his disabilities. He has memorized all of the works of Shakespeare. Once, while attending a live performance of Twelfth Night, he noticed that an actor had transposed two lines of the play. Peek threw such a raucous fit, that the play had to be stopped while he was escorted from the theatre. Subsequently, he was no longer allowed to attend such live performances. But he has an IQ of only 87! Such are a few of the mysteries of memory and the human brain that Foer uncovers in his year of training.While doing his research, Foer, always under Cooke's guidance, continues to improve---to such an extent that he begins to believe that he might be a serious challenger for the U.S. Championship. (It should be noted that, because he lives across the "pond," most of Cooke's coaching is done long range, by phone and email. But he contacts Foer several times a week to monitor and guide his trainee's preparation.) Foer keeps the suspense going throughout the book as the day of competition draws closer. (This review will not reveal the outcome of this contest.) In this way he keeps the book moving along even as he delves ever deeper into the history and science of memory.I did find Chapter Six, "How to Memorize a Poem," to be a disappointment. What drew me to this book in the first place is my little hobby of memorizing poems. At this point I have about 15 poems in my memory bank. I got them in there by brute force: reciting, reciting, reciting the lines of each poem over and over again, until I had them by rote, word for word, in whatever back channel of the brain holds those things that you just never seem to forget, that you can recall effortlessly, like some prayer or song taught to you as a child. I don't know an easier or faster way to get a poem in my memory and was hoping to get some ideas from this book. But this chapter does not really tell you how to memorize a poem although it does give some approaches for dealing with abstract words, like "duty" or "honor," and so-called structure terms like "and" and "from." So this chapter does not live up to the promise of its title. Maybe that's because there is no fast and easy way to memorize poetry. Even for the champion mnemonists who appear in this book, the poetry event is the most dreaded of all. In fact, we find that---perhaps under pressure of some fearsome mnemonist lobby---the poetry event was eventually eliminated from international competition. How sad! Why else would you want to develop a championship-level memory but to be able to recall in an instant a powerful thought beautifully written? OK. My bias is hereby confessed.

"Moonwalking with Einstein" by Joshua Foer, as experienced through the lens of a 56-year-old teacher, mom, and grandmother, is a revelation. It is not just a book about improving your memory; it’s an exploration of how we obtain and engage with information and how we live. As a teacher, I was captivated by Foer’s journey into his adventure of memory champions and his recognition of the potential for the things he applied to that was also that of the potential of how students learn. The idea is that memory is a skill that can be trained and shaped into many different things. Imagine students not just memorizing facts, but truly comprehending and retaining them through this type of visual method. It could truly make a difference in the classroom.As a mother and grandmother, I was captivated by the book’s examination of time and experience. The thought that meaningful events could grow our perception of time meant something to me. So many times we get into the same old routine, and Foer’s insights give us a simple reminder to look for new experiences, be in the moment, and create memories with your loved ones that will last a lifetime. It is a challenge to savor every moment, especially with my grandchildren. He reminds us that these times together will shape their memories and their lives.For a woman of my age, I got a reassuring view of aging and cognitive function. It took away some of the anxieties of memory loss, giving me the challenge of having focused effort and techniques to keep my mind sharp and lively. I also reflected on the powerful impact that technology has on our memory. We become so dependent on our cell phones, digital calendars and other digital devices that we neglect our cognitive capabilities. Foer’s book is a powerful reminder that it is so important to cultivate our memories, not only for business or academic purposes but for a much fuller life.Essentially, “Moonwalking with Einstein” is more than just a fascinating narrative; it is a beneficial guide to improving cognitive abilities and a look into memory’s role in molding our lives. It is a book I definitely would recommend to co-workers, my children, and my grandchildren. It offers great insights for anyone seeking to live a more purposeful and memorable life.